


You Gave Me A Reason (Frerard Fan fiction) ON HOLD

by PunkRock13



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Abuse, Eating Disorders, Foster Care, Homelessness, M/M, Medicinal Drug Use, Painkillers, Starvation, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-12-14 20:50:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11791215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PunkRock13/pseuds/PunkRock13
Summary: Frank was put into care after the tragic death of his mother. The foster home wasn't really home, it was more like a prison. With regular beatings and abuse, Frank was on the brink of giving up. A friendly teacher by the name of Mr Way notices the dramatic change in his student. Will he be able to help?





	1. You Gave Me A Reason - Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote a fan fiction quite a while ago, which never got finished because it was so bad. I ended up deleting it and now I'm re-writing it with a slightly different plot. If I'm being honest updates will probably be slow, but I really wanna start writing again, so here's the first chapter! Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

"Frank run!" She screamed, blood pouring from her stomach. "Get away from here, get help."

"Mummy!" Frank sobbed, the ten year old didn't want to leave his mother's side. Instead, he sat next to her and held onto her hand.

"Go, now!" His mother screeched, the monster was long gone by now but Lynn didn't want to risk her son getting hurt. She didn't want him to watch his own mother die.

"I don't wanna go mum." Frank cried. "I love you."

"I love y-you to Fr-rankie. You know I-I do. But I n-need you to go and get help. Save yourself." Lynn said, struggling to breathe as the life was slowly fading from her body.

"I'm gonna make you proud mummy." Frank cried, knowing he had to go.

"I-I know you will sweetie. You always have done, and you always will. My beautiful little Prince." She smiled, drooping her head and closing her eyes.

"Mum?" Frank whispered. "Mum! Mummy!"

Frank jumped up, sweat covering his shuddering body. Another nightmare had plagued his sleep once again. It had been six years since that horrible, life changing event had taken place, but Frank still dreamt about it regularly.

Looking over at his clock, the young boy realized it was only 4:42am. He still had another hour before he had to get up for school, but there was no way he could go back to sleep after that. 

___________

A few hours later, Frank was getting ready for school. He had already been refused breakfast, since Brenda the lead carer in his foster home, told him he was already big enough. He didn't need more food. That was a lie and Frank knew it, he was as skinny as anything. This was the type of stuff he had to put up with.

His mother died only six years before, and Frank was forced to live in a foster home full of other kids. The three carers there were Brenda, June and Dana. They had treated Frank disgracefully ever since they found out that he was gay. Starvation, nights locked in the cellar and regular beatings were just some of the things the poor boy had to live with.

Strangely enough, Frank rather enjoyed school, so he hurried himself out of the door and made it to his English class thirty minutes early. The door was locked so he sat himself down in the hallway, sighing at the mess his life was in. English class was the one hour of his day that allowed him to escape from all of his troubles. He loved the subject with a passion, and the teacher was one of the nicest people Frank has ever met. 

Speaking of which, Mr Way was on his way down the hall right now. He saw Frank and gave him a smile, then looked slightly confused when he realized what the time was.

"Good morning Frank, what brings you here so early?" Mr Way asked cheerfully, unlocking the class room door and gesturing for the younger man to enter.

"Morning Sir, I woke up really early this morning and decided to just get out of the house. There's no harm in coming to school early." Frank replied, trying to mimic his teacher's happiness.

"Nope, no harm at all. How was your weekend?"

"Just the same as it always is. Spent some time at the skate park, but that's about it." Frank sighed, he did love skating but his board had been broken for a while now so Frank just sat and watched the other skaters. Brenda had snapped the board in half in an attempt to punish Frank for shouting at another child.

"Well that sounds fun. I hope you don't mind me asking." He took a pause and sighed. "But the other day I noticed that you had a bruise on your wrist. I don't mean to pry into your private life, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Mr Way asked sympathetically.

"Oh um, yeah I'm fine. I was just messing about with a few mates and one of them grabbed my wrist too hard. It's nothing serious, thanks for asking though." Frank lied, hoping his teacher would leave it at that. The bruise had actually come from June. She had grabbed his wrist and pulled him down the steps to the cellar, leaving him in there all night.

"Okay, well that's good. You had me worried." Mr Way giggled in relief. "Would you like to hand these sheets out for me please? Class will be starting soon."

"Yeah, no problem Sir." 

Frank handed out the sheets and shortly after, class began. Today they were studying The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of Franks favorite books. After reading through the first chapter and making a few notes, Frank started to feel a bit dizzy. It was a strange feeling at first, as if he had stood up too quickly, but he had been sat down the whole time.

Frank closed his eyes and rested his head on the table for a few minutes, hoping it would clear up. That idea didn't work.

"Frank? Are you sleeping in my class?" Mr Way asked, in a joking tone. Frank lifted his head and his vision blurred even more than it had before. He closed his eyes once again.

"Can I go to the bathroom please Sir?" Frank asked, hoping not to sound too strange.

"Of course, are you feeling alright?" The teacher asked, looking rather concerned.

Frank couldn't answer, instead he stood up as quickly as he could wanting to leave the room before anything bad happened, but it was too late. As soon as he took a step towards the door, his whole body went numb and everything turned black.

Mr Way gasped in shock as he watched one of his students collapse to the ground. "Frank?" He asked, trying to get the boys attention. He rushed over to check for any damage from the fall, luckily there was none.

"Becky, go and get the school nurse for me please." 

"Yes, Sir." The student replied, rushing out of the room.

"It's okay Frank, you're going to be fine." Mr Way said, moving the younger boy onto his side. 

Frank started to open his eyes. He could see a figure sat next to him, he guessed it was his teacher based on the bright red hair. His mouth was moving, but Frank couldn't hear a word he was saying.

The nurse arrived shortly after and helped Mr Way carry Frank to the Nurse's office. By the time he got there, Frank was starting to feel better. He could see and hear and talk, but his body still felt a little numb.

"I'd say this was a simple case of exhaustion and hunger. Suvire hunger. When was the last time you ate Frank?" The Nurse asked, in her sweet voice. Mr Way was still in the room, worrying over the ill boy.

"Um, I don't know." Frank whispered. "Maybe Friday morning." Mr Way's eyes grew wide with shock.

"My boy, that was three days ago. No wonder you're so weak. Stay with me for the next hour or so, first things first you're going to eat something." The Nurse stated.

"Okay." Frank said, his stomach jumping in excitement. He was so hungry.


	2. It's Been A Long Ride - Part 2

Frank ended up spending the next two hours in the nurses office. She gave him a pasta pot and a chocolate bar from the canteen. He savored every bite. Mr Way had left shortly after the two had arrived and was now teaching his lessons. He didn't say much to Frank, he looked as if he were too far in thought. He did mention however, that if Frank came to his classroom at the end of the day, he'd give him some work to catch up on.

When lunch arrived, the nurse came over to Frank and gave him a sympathetic look. It was almost as if she knew about everything that was happening to Frank. But that was impossible. No one knew. No one could know.

"Frank?" The nurse asked, trying to get the young boys attention.

"Yes ma'am?" Frank replied sweetly.

"Would you mind telling me why you haven't eaten for so long?" She asked, knowing that she probably wouldn't get the truthful reply. 

"Oh, uh I don't know." Frank said, worryingly. "Just stress from school I guess, exams and all." He shrugged.

"I know it's hard for you with school and all that, but please remember to eat. It's very important and it will help you with your school work. It keeps the brain healthy." The nurse said, trying to play along with Frank's excuse. She knew that something wasn't quite right with the boy. "And if you're stressed, let someone know. Teachers are here to help you. My Way seems nice, why don't you talk to him?"

"I'm not really a fan of the whole talking to people thing." Frank sighed. "I'll be fine, now that I've had this little scare it'll give me the motivation to sort myself out."

"Alright then, well enjoy the rest of your day honey. Come see me if you've got any problems."

"I will do, thank you for the food." Frank replied. And with that he was off. 

Sadly he still wasn't full. The food that he'd had with the nurse was delicious, but it wasn't much. It seemed like that was all he was going to get for a while though, since he had no lunch money (he never did) and Brenda seemed to be set on making sure he ate as less as possible.

Frank contemplated going to Mr Way's room. He could get his work and catch up on it during lunch. Then he wouldn't have to worry about it when he got home. His plan was ruined however, when a certain red haired teacher sat next to him in the lunch hall.

"Hey, Frank. How're you feeling?" Mr Way asked, kindly.

"Oh hi, I'm okay thanks." Frank smiled back, his cheeks going slightly red. He didn't realize how cute Mr Way's face looked until he saw it up close.

"That's good then, how come you're not eating lunch?" The older man asked.

"Um, I ate earlier at the nurses office." Frank said, not wanting to admit the real reason.

"Well yeah, but I'm sure you didn't have much." Gerard replied.

Frank sighed. He didn't know what to do. Should he just tell the truth? He did trust Mr Way more than anyone else, but he was so scared that the teacher would make fun of him if he told him he had no money. With another sigh, Frank started to speak.

"To tell you the truth Sir." Frank started, the word Sir making him blush again. "I haven't got any lunch money."

"Oh Frankie, why didn't you say? You can borrow some of my money if you want?" Mr Way suggested, feeling bad for the teen. Frank froze. Frankie. That's what his mother used to call him. "Frank? You okay?" His teacher's voice brought him back to reality.

"Oh uh, yeah I'm fine. And don't worry about the money, I'll be fine. I wouldn't be able to pay you back." Frank smiled, trying to act normal.

"I don't mind buying you lunch. It's just a one off right?" Gerard said, wanting the young boy to eat. He felt bad for him. Three days without food. How? Why? "So, what can I get you? Pizza slice?"

"Um, yeah okay then. But only if you're sure." Frank replied, feeling guilty but also desperate for something else to eat.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Mr Way walked over to the lunch line. Since he was a teacher, he got to push in to the front. He returned a few minutes later with two pizza slices. One for him and one for Frank. "Here you go."

"Thank you so much Sir, you're so kind." Frank said, hoping that he was being polite enough. June get's mad at him if he doesn't use his manners.

"It's not a problem Frank, honestly." The teacher laughed.

The two of them spent the rest of lunch together, discussing the work that Frank needed to catch up on. When lunch finished, they said goodbye and Frank headed to his maths lesson. Last period went by slowly, but Frank quite enjoyed it. Sadly, it was time to go home and to make it even worse, it was raining.

Frank had nothing on but his black T-shirt, skinny jeans and converse. By the time he got out of the school gates, he was soaked through and shivering. He still had a thirty minute walk to go before he got home and the rain was getting heavier. This was the part he really hated. His stomach churned and his body got weak from the thought of going to the foster home. He knew something bad would happen to him tonight, because he left early and didn't finish his morning chores.

Gerard exited the school only a few minutes after Frank. He saw the boy shivering from the rain and decided to catch up to him.

"Hey Frank." Mr Way greeted as he ran up behind his student. Frank jumped in surprise.

"O-oh h-hey Mr W-ay." Frank replied, his lips numb and blue from how cold he was.

"Did you want a lift home? You look freezing." Gerard stated.

Frank knew that Gerard lived close to the school and didn't want to burden him by making him drive the thirty minutes to and back from his house. It wouldn't be fair on him.

"N-no, it's okay. I only l-live down the road." Frank lied.

"Oh, are you sure? Cause I don't mind." Gerard smiled sweetly. Frank loved that smile.

"I'm sure, thank you though."

"Alright." Mr Way sighed. "See you tomorrow." He walked away towards his car and Frank started his journey to the dreaded place he called home.

Twenty minutes later, Frank was still walking in the freezing rain. He couldn't feeling his face or hands, both parts of his body turning blue. It just so happened that Mr Way was driving to the shops at that time and saw Frank walking at the side of the road, looking worse than before. Gerard slowed down the car.

"Frank?" He shouted out the window. The younger boy jumped and looked over in shock. "Why are you still out in the rain?"

"Uh, u-um." Frank didn't know what to say. He was like a deer in the headlights.

"Where you heading to?" Gerard asked, once again about to offer a lift. Frank still didn't reply, he didn't want his teacher knowing he had lied to him. "C'mon get in the car." 

Frank slowly started walking to the car, scared of what might happen. Gerard waited patiently for him, trying to figure out what was wrong. Eventually, the younger boy got into the car.

"So, where can I take you?" Mr Way asked, kindly.

"Um, y-you could drop me off just outside the post office on Brownstone Street, if that's okay." Frank said slowly, then rushed out a please.

"Alrighty then."

The two men sat in silence as the eldest drove. The rain started to die down slightly. Typical. They arrived at the post office, and Frank started to get out of the car.

"Frank, wait." Gerard said quickly. Frank froze. Mr Way probably knew he had lied to him about where he lived, and now it was time for his punishment. Frank looked over at the older man, slowly.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I'm so s-sorry Sir. Please, I d-din't mean t-to." Frank cried, hoping not to get hit too hard.

"What are you talking about?" Gerard asked, extremely confused. 

"I'm s-sorry for lying t-to you, Sir."

"What did you lie about?" 

"About where I-I live." Frank replied, scared out of his mind.

"Frank, don't be silly. I don't care about stuff like that. You don't need to feel scared around me. I just wanted to ask you if you were alright." Gerard sighed, sympathizing with the younger boy.

"O-oh, uh yeah. I'm fine" Frank rushed out. Why was he so stupid? He could have caused suspicion.

"Frank, I know that somethings not right. You can talk to me-"

Frank got up quickly and left the car, he felt bad for cutting Mr Way off and for not thanking him, but he needed to go. No one could know what was wrong. No one.


	3. Heart Attack Machine - Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say thank you for all of the support I'm getting on this story.

Frank didn't stop running until he made it to the dreaded front doors. He was home. The guilt of being so rude to his teacher tortured his mind, but he knew that he would soon forget about it once the pain of punishment arrived. He hadn't even opened the door yet, and he could already hear Brenda screaming.

"Where the hell is the scumbag? He should have been here five minutes ago! First he doesn't do his chores and now he's late home. He's gonna get a beating when I see him." Brenda growled, filled with fury. It was at that moment Frank decided to enter the house. Brenda's head whipped around to face the scared boy.

"Where have you been?" Brenda asked, terrifyingly calm. 

"U-uh sorry I'm l-late ma'am. Our c-class had to stay behind l-longer." Frank lied, shaking from head to toe no longer from the cold, but from the fear.

"You're lying." Brenda said, walking quickly towards him. 

"I-I'm sorry." Frank sobbed, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach.

"You worthless, lying piece of shit!" She yelled, slapping Frank harshly on his cheek. The young boy whimpered from the sting. "Why can't you be like the other children? Why are you so naughty?"

Frank didn't know the answer to that. He always thought he was a good boy. At least that's what his mum used to call him. He cried some more as the wicked lady grabbed his arm and pulled him along with her. It was obvious to where she was taking him. The cellar. A place that Frank dreaded. He wanted to run, run as fast as he could, but he was too weak. When they reached the cellar, Brenda told him to go in, but he refused. 

"I'm not dealing with you any longer Frank, get in there right now!" The lady shouted, frustration growing on her face. Frank was desperate to escape, but he didn't have a chance. Before he could say anything more, Brenda gave him a hard shove causing him to fall down the flight of stairs that lead to the dark, damp room.

The door slammed shut, locking as it did so. 

Frank had blacked out for a few minutes after falling down the stairs. He awoke to one of the scariest things in the world. Darkness. It reminded him of the horrendous night. The night his mother died.

Frank sighed in defeat and decided to go back to sleep. It was clear that he would be in here all night. There would be no dinner for him, and definitely no breakfast tomorrow. He couldn't do anything about it, so there was no point in staying awake. 

__________

Ray stood there in silence. He had watched the scene fold in front of him. Poor Frank, the kid didn't deserve it. Ray didn't understand why their foster parents treated Frank so badly. They cared for all the other children, and would never even think of laying a hand on them. The other kids weren't allowed to talk to Frank. Their mothers claimed he was evil. Ray didn't believe that, but he was too scared to disobey his carers.

Night time approached, and the children were told to go to bed. An hour later, the three carers were fast asleep along with the other children. Ray lay awake in his bed, guilt consuming him. He needed to do something, anything. He had to help Frank. 

Once he was sure everyone was deep in their sleep, Ray got up and quietly made his way downstairs. He wasn't too sure as to what his plan was. Should he give the boy some food? Should he let him leave the house? Surely that would be dangerous. Maybe he'd ask Frank what he wanted to do.

The cellar door was right in front of him. Ray typed in the code used to unlock the door and quietly walked down the steps. He could see the small frame of Frank shivering in the corner.

"Hey." Ray whispered. "You okay?"

"W-what are you doing here?" Frank asked, wide eyed.

"I want to help you." Ray replied. "Did you want some food?" Frank thought about it for a second, but then decided against it. Maybe Brenda was right. Maybe he was fat.

"No." Frank shook his head.

"Can I help you in any way?"

"Let me leave." Frank rushed out. "Please, just let me get out of this house."

"Okay." Ray sighed, knowing that it wasn't safe out on the street, but it wasn't safe here either. At least not for Frank. "Do you have anywhere to go?"

"I've got a place in mind." Frank shrugged.

"Alright, come on then." Ray helped the younger boy to stand and supported him as they walked up the stairs. 

Ray opened the front door and let Frank out.

"Thank you so much." Frank sighed. "Don't tell them it was you. Pretend you had nothing to do with it."

"Nothing to do with what?" Ray smiled. Frank smiled too, a genuine smile. "See you around, buddy."

"Yeah, see you." Frank said, walking away from his hell of a home.

It was time for new beginnings, time for his life to finally start.

That night, Frank slept in an alley way behind a bin. He planned on speaking to Mr Way, apologizing first, and then asking him for a big favor. He hoped that the older man would spare a room for a few nights. It was a lot to ask, but it was the only choice he had.

__________

Frank awoke the next morning, feeling rather cold. It had rained during the night and Frank was still in his clothes from the day before, which were wet. Short sleeves and no form of warmth. He looked at his phone to check the time, realizing that it was almost dead, and seeing that there was only an hour until school started. Frank decided to start walking there, it would take twenty minutes or so, but at least he would be in the warm sooner.

Once he got to school, he made his way to Mr Way's class, hoping that the man would forgive him. Frank took a deep breath and entered the classroom, Mr Way looked up in surprise.

"Frank, hey. You're early again." Gerard smiled, then his face dropped. "You're soaking, don't you have any spare clothes with you?"

"No." Frank replied shortly. "I don't have my backpack either and I probably won't ever have it again, so if you have any spare books I'd really appreciate it."

"Of course." Gerard replied. "What happened to your backpack?"

"It's - It's just gone." Frank sighed. The room went silent and Mr Way went back to marking some papers. "Mr Way?"

"Yes Frank?" Gerard looked up.

"I'm sorry for yesterday, thank you for giving me a lift."

"It's not a problem Frank, I'm here to help." The teacher smiled.

"Um, when you say help, how far are you willing to go to help me?" Frank asked, knowing this was the only chance today he'd get to talk about what happened.

"Well, it depends. As long as you're safe."

"Would you let me live with you?" Frank rushed out, shocked that he had actually said it.

"Frank, what ar-"

"Just for a few days, please? I'll do anything. Please Mr Way, I'm desperate." Frank said, starting to cry. This was so humiliating. Gerard sighed and crouched down by his student.

"Frank, what's going on?" Mr Way asked, soothingly, calming Frank down a bit.

"I ran away from home." Frank whispered.

"And why did you do that?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Frank said quickly, standing up and making his way towards the door. "Sorry to bother you, forget about what I said."

"Frank-"

"Bye Mr Way." Frank said, bursting out of the classroom.

Why did he do that? Why couldn't he just tell him what happened? He had a chance and he blew it. Looks like he'd be spending a few more nights on the street.


	4. Coddle The Infection - Part 4

Frank went to his first lesson, feeling a large weight on his chest. What was he supposed to do? He had no where to go. Sleeping in the alleyway last night wasn't too bad, but Frank was so tired at the time that he didn't notice all the scary things around him. Instead he just slept.

When it came to his English lesson with Mr Way, Frank sat on the floor of a bathroom stall, hoping that his teacher wouldn't notice his absence. Sadly he knew that, that wouldn't be the case but there was no chance he was going to attend the lesson. At least getting detention meant he had more time in the warmth.

School finished and Frank was starving. He didn't have any money to get anything, which was probably a good thing. Brenda always said he needed to loose weight, but he was so hungry. He decided that he didn't care about what that witch had to say, he wanted food. Frank knew that the bakery down the road from his school, threw out old loafs of bread that didn't sell at the end of the day, so he decided to wait out the back of the shop and do his homework.

After a few hours the sky became dark, and Frank started to feel a little nervous. It was cold too, and Franks lack of clothing wasn't helping that situation. Finally, just as Frank was about to give up hope, the head baker came out to the alley way with a bag of old bread. He saw the young boy's pleading eyes and took pity on him.

"Here you go son." The baker said, handing Frank half a loaf of bread.

"T-thank you." Frank replied, shivering slightly.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen, S-sir."

"Well, may God be with you in these hard times. There will always be bread here at the end of the day." The baker smiled, walking back into the building. Frank smiled and devoured the bread. He scooted closer to the dustbin and curled up in an attempt to sleep the pain away.

__________

Another night on the streets had taken a toll on Frank. He woke up to an agonizing headache and cough. As much as he didn't want to go to school, he knew it would be warm there. Unfortunately, Mr Way's class was first and Frank couldn't afford to miss anymore of his lessons.

He arrived at Mr Way's door, early again, and entered the room taking a deep breath. His teacher looked up and could instantly tell that something was wrong.

"Good morning, Frank. How are you feeling today?" Mr Way asked, taking pity on the boy who looked a little rough.

"Okay I guess, a bit sick but oh well." Frank sighed, sitting at his desk.

"Frank, you've been wearing the same clothes for three days. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine." Frank said, burying his head in his hands.

"You can talk to me y'know? I won't judge you. I just want you to know that you can get help. Please don't keep this all to yourself." Gerard said in his teacher voice. "If you need anything, just ask." Frank thought for a minute. The days were cold, and the nights were even colder. Some sort of warmth would be nice.

"D-do you have a spare coat I could have?" Frank asked, eyes wide and innocent. Scared of what the reply would be.

"Why would you need a coat? Don't you have one?"

"No." Frank said, making it obvious that he didn't want to go into detail.

"I haven't got one with me at the moment, but you can borrow my jumper if you like and I can bring you a coat in tomorrow." Mr Way said, sounding like he genuinely cared.

"I'd really appreciate that." Frank smiled, getting a bit teary.

Mr Way grabbed a jumper from his bag and gave it to Frank. He then went back to his bag and pulled out his wallet.

"Here." The teacher said, handing Frank a £5 note. Frank took it cautiously. "Get yourself some lunch."

"Thank you so much."

"It's not a problem." Mr Way replied.

Frank felt a wave of emotion rush through his body. Mr Way was being so nice to him, and he felt as if someone actually cared. The young boy didn't know what to do next, everything was so overwhelming to him. He sat back down at his desk, and tried his hardest not to cry. Gerard noticed this and offered the boy a small smile. He was going to find out what was going on. He needed to help Frank.

The end of the day approached once again, and Frank went back to the bakery. He made himself comfy by the dustbin and waited for some bread. He wasn't too desperate for food, since he had used Mr Way's money to buy a pasta pot and a hot chocolate at lunch, but right now he'd take whatever he could get. The baker came out and gave the child some bread. Frank ate it and went to sleep, and the cycle of his life started all over again.

Gerard lay in his bed, wide awake, worrying about the young boy, Frank. His safety was an issue, since he mentioned running away from home. He was always wearing the same clothes and never ate. He had never seen the boy in such a vulnerable state. The next day would be the day that Gerard finally found out the truth, and he was going to make sure of it. Frank needed help, and Gerard was more than willing to give it to him.


	5. Brother If You Had The Chance - Part 5

The next day, Frank went to school again. Only two more days until the weekend, but that wasn't exactly a good thing for the young boy. Frank had so far survived his first four lessons, which he actually found quiet enjoyable, but now it was time for his final lesson of the day. English with Mr Way. Frank was praying that his teacher had brought in the coat he'd promised, but he wasn't sure whether he should get his hopes up or not.

Gerard didn't how to approach Frank at the end of their English lesson. It was obvious that the young boy was waiting for something. Something his teacher didn't have. Gerard hadn't forgotten to bring it, he just decided that it was a bad idea to bring the coat. Offering him the coat meant that Gerard was supporting whatever bad things were happening to Frank. He guessed homelessness. 

"Hey Frank." Mr Way said.

"Hey." Frank replied, feeling slightly awkward. He knew asking for the coat was a bad idea.

"Look, I haven't got the coat." Gerard sighed. Frank started to panic.

"That's okay, you've given me enough already. I shouldn't have-"

"No, Frank. The reason I haven't got the coat is because I suspect you're homeless, and I don't want to support that." Mr Way rushed out, not knowing if his words made sense. Frank froze, how was he supposed to reply to that?

"What do you mean?" Frank asked, feeling rather anxious.

"I think we should talk. Take a seat."

"W-what did you wanna talk about?"

"Frank, I would really appreciate it if you told me the truth. I want to help you, I'm not going to judge or hurt you." Mr Way said, trying not to sound too pushy. Frank took a deep breath.

"Do you want the full story, or something a bit shorter?" Frank asked.

"The full story sounds good, as long as you're comfortable with it."

"Okay, um." Frank didn't know how to talk, it was as if his body had just forgotten how to function. He was so nervous.

"It's alright, take your time." Mr Way soothed, placing his hand on Frank's shoulder.

"When, w-when I was (a young boy... sorry XD) ten, my mother was killed. Right in front of my eyes." Frank said, tears already starting to pour down his cheeks. "I-I, they sent me to a foster home straight away. D-didn't even let me go to her funeral." The boy sobbed.

"Oh Frankie." Mr Way sighed, giving his student a comforting hug. 

"The careers never liked me. They used to starve me when I was younger, they still do now. But last year they started putting me in the cellar and hitting me. They never did it to the other kids, only me." Frank whimpered, relaxing into Gerard's hug.

"You're so brave, Frank." Gerard said, making sure the boy knew he wasn't in the wrong. "You're so brave for going through this and getting help."

"T-thank you." Frank whispered. Mr Way pulled away from the boy, wanting to ask a few more questions.

"You mentioned running away from home, where are you staying now?" Mr Way asked, hoping that Frank had found somewhere safe but knowing that probably wasn't the case.

"Y'know the baker down the street?"

"Yeah?"

"He let's me sleep in the alley way behind his shop, and he gives me bread every night." Frank replied, feeling tired from all the crying.

"Frank, I'm going to make sure that you never have to sleep on the streets again okay?" Mr Way said, determined to save the boy.

"O-okay." Frank nodded, crying again and resting his head on Gerard's shoulder.

"You might not like this, but I'm going to have to get the police involved. It's a part of my role as a teacher. I need to prevent this from happening to anyone else, and keep you safe."

"Thank you." 

"It's not a problem." Gerard smiled. "You stay here, I'll go grab you some food and then I'm gonna have to speak to the head master. He'll be the one to call the police."

"Okay." Frank smiled, a little scared about what would happen, but also relieved that he was finally getting some help.

Gerard left the room, sighing in relief. He finally knew what was going on and he could help Frank. The cafeteria was just about to close, but Gerard managed to grab a cheese sandwich for Frank in time. He rushed back to his classroom and gave the boy his food, then headed to the head masters office. When he got there he knocked on the door.

"Come in." The head master, George called out. Gerard walked in.

"Good afternoon George." Gerard smiled, tiredly.

"Ah, hello Gerard. How can I help you?"

"Well, it's a bit of a long story." Mr Way sighed. "But to summarize it all, one of my students has just confessed to being abused by his carers, and now he's homeless."

"Oh goodness, what is the students name?" George asked, genuinely concerned for the child.

"It's Frank Iero."

"Do you know where he is now?"

"Yes, he's in my classroom, eating some dinner." Gerard replied, hoping Frank hadn't run off. The poor boy must be petrified.

"Okay, I'm going to go and speak to him, ask him a few questions. In the meantime, could you call the police for me please?" George asked, standing up and heading towards the door.

"Certainly."

__________

An hour had passed and Frank, Gerard and George were all being separately questioned at the police station. Frank was so uncomfortable, he couldn't stop shaking. The police officers made him take some of his clothes off, so that they could take pictures of his bruises. The young boy just wanted the comfort of Mr Way. He was so kind, warm and gentle.

Frank was questioned about many things for hours. Forced to speak about things he would have rather kept quiet, but he knew he was doing the right thing. 

"Mr Iero, I have one last question for you." Officer Malcolm said.

"O-okay." 

"Do you have any friends or relatives that you can stay with. We can't allow you to sleep on the streets at your age."

"No." Frank said, tearing up.

"Right, well for the next few nights we will have you stay at a foster ho-"

"NO." Frank shouted, shaking with fear. "Please don't make me go there again."

"It won't be the same home, Sir." The officer tried to argue.

"Please, I can't go to one of those places." Frank sobbed.

"Well, we don't have any other options for you Mr Iero."

"W-what about Mr Way?"

The police officer looked at his colleague and spoke a few soft words that Frank couldn't hear. Then the colleague stood up and exited the room.

"She's just going to speak to Mr Way." Malcolm smiled.

"Thank you." The room was silent, questioning time was over.

A few minutes later Frank was let out of the room and taken to the front desk where Mr Way was standing. He gave a tired smiled and rushed to stand by his side.

"Looks like you're staying with me Frankie." Gerard said, looking kindly at the younger boy. Frank said nothing, just let the weight of the world fly off his shoulders. He could finally relax.

Gerard had to sign some paperwork, and then it was time to go home. When the two men got into the safety of Gerard's house, Frank threw himself at the older man embracing him in a hug.

"Thank you." Frank whispered.

"There's nothing to thank me for." Gerard replied. "It's been a long day, I think we should get some sleep."

Frank simply nodded and let Gerard lead him to his new bedroom. It was nothing fancy, but to Frank it was perfect.


	6. I won't let go til we both see the light - Part 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is really short, I didn't really know what to write about in this chapter but I tried my best. If anyone wants to suggest some ideas for this I will greatly appreciate it!

Gerard awoke early the next morning for work. It had been a long night and he was exhausted, but sadly he still had to get up and spend the day surrounded by teenagers. Frank was still asleep, so Gerard left him a note telling him he had the day off. The boy needed some rest.

It had been one of the best nights sleep that Frank has ever had. No nightmares, no fear of being attacked, no freezing cold temperatures. Just a warm, cozy, safe shelter. He rolled over an saw the note his teacher had left him on the bedside table. It felt weird being in someone else's house whilst they were away, but Frank kind of liked it.

The boy got up an showered, realizing that it was almost noon. Gerard would be home in a few hours. Frank knew that he was going to have to repay Gerard some how, the man had saved him and gave him a home. The school term was also coming to an end, and that meant Frank had to start saving up for next years tuition. Maybe he could get a job. He'll go and look for one another time, for now he was going to clean the house and start cooking dinner for Gee. 

Three hours later, Frank had polished, swept, mopped, hoovered, cooked and washed Gerard's clothes. It had been a busy day, but it was worth it if he got to stay here. He just hoped the older man would notice. Gerard was due home any minute now, so Frank sat down at the table and waited. he heard a car park in the drive way and then the front door opened.

"Hey Frank, I'm home." Gerard called out, taking his coat and shoes off. It was currently November in Jersey, so the snow was starting to pile up.

"I'm in the kitchen." Frank said, hoping he wasn't too loud.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Gerard smiled, breathlessly as he walked into the kitchen. "Oh my goodness, you made dinner?"

"Yeah, thought I'd help you out a bit." Frank replied, trying to figure out if Mr Way liked it or not.

"Frank, that looks delicious. Thank you so much, you didn't have to do that."

"It's my pleasure." Frank said, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. "Shall we eat?"

"Yeah, definitely." Gerard sat down and started to dig into his meal. "This is fantastic Frankie, how did you learn to cook like this?"

"My mother taught me, we used to make dinner together every day after school." Frank smiled, he loved all the praise he was receiving. "I'm so glad you like it."

"Frankie, that's so sweet. She's very proud of you, I know she is."

"Thank you."

"Did you clean as well?" Gerard asked, looking shocked when he noticed the broom cupboard door was open.

"Oh yeah, just thought I'd pass the time a bit."

"You didn't need to do that, but thank you."

"It's alright." Frank replied, finishing up his dinner. All of a sudden, Frank started to feel overwhelmed, he didn't know what was happening to him. He was supposed to be happy, but he just wasn't. "Gerard?"

"Yeah?" The older man looked up in concern, a twinkle in his eye.

"C-can, can I have a hug?" Frank asked, starting to cry.

"Hey, hey what's wrong sweetie?" Gerard asked, coming over to the boy and embracing him in a warm hug, rubbing his back soothingly and making him feel so much better.

"I don't know." Frank whispered back.

"It's okay, you've been through a lot recently. Just let it all out." That's when Frank began to sob. Hearing Gerard's soft voice made him feel so special and wanted. Gerard continued to comfort the boy through his break down, and eventually got him to sit on the sofa. They snuggled up to each other, each man both enjoying it but not admitting it, and watched a movie. They relaxed for the rest of the evening and when the time came, they both went to bed.

Frank knew right there and then that he had fallen hard. Gerard was so much more than a friend, a carer. He was everything.

__________

Gerard had to go to work again the next day, and Frank decided that it would be a good idea to go to school as well. 

He was glad he did, because Frank really enjoyed his classes. It was nice to learn new things again, even though he'd only missed a day of school, it felt like forever. Today was Friday however, so both men had the weekend ahead of them. Frank was excited to spent time with Gerard, he loved being around him. It hurt to be apart.

Frank knew he probably sounded weird, and it was obvious that Gerard didn't feel the same, but last night there was a spark. When they were cuddling on the sofa, Frank felt real happiness. He felt like he finally had a purpose in the world. He wanted to cuddle again, but he knew it would only happen if he was upset. Gerard wouldn't just hug him for no reason.

Maybe Frank could pretend to be upset, he had after all 'been through a lot recently' as Gerard had put it, so it would be believable. But surely that would be mean to lie to Gee, and make him deal with it all night. The older man probably had things to do.

He just wanted him so bad.


	7. Drink It In - Part 7

Frank got home from school, and started working on his homework. He was feeling a little down over the whole wanting Gerard thing, and it wouldn't stop going through his mind. He wanted more than a friendship, but he knew it wasn't going to work out. Why would that even cross his mind? He didn't even know how old Gerard was, but he was still willing to have a piece of him. Even if it was illegal.

He had never experienced this feeling before. His heart ached from it all, and it was rather painful. Frank found the whole experience very strange. Maybe it wasn't love, maybe he just had some chest or heart problems. He should probably go an see a doctor about that. He had stomachaches too, but it didn't feel like the average illness.

Frank roamed Gerard's cabinets in search for some painkillers, he hoped that they would help with all the aches he was experiencing. Once he found some, he swallowed two and got back to doing his homework.

Gerard arrived home about an hour later, greeting the younger boy and helping him out with his work. The two then sat down at the table and at some dinner. Frank's heart was still aching and his stomach felt as if there were butterflies in there. He'd have to take some more meds once dinner was over.

"How old are you?" Frank blurted out, the question had been bothering him all day.

"I'm 28." Gerard replied, his voice full of confidence. Frank wished he could be like that.

"Oh." Was all Frank said. Twelve years was quite a large age gap, but that didn't stop the feelings he had for the older man.

"So, how are you feeling Frank? You were a bit upset yesterday." Mr Way said, hoping to start up a conversation. The younger boy seemed to be acting quite strange tonight.

"Uh, okay I guess. I feel a bit ill to be honest." Frank sighed.

"Really? How so?"

"Just a stomach ache, and my chest is a bit tight. I'll be alright though."

"Have you taken any meds?" Gerard asked, sounding really concerned.

"Yeah, I took some painkillers earlier, might have to take a few more soon though. They didn't help much."

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" 

Frank thought for a while, wondering if it was a good idea to reply. "Um, maybe just hugs?" He said, questioningly. Shrugging with worry.

"Well, that can be easily arranged. I love a good hug." Gerard smiled. "How about I make up some hot chocolates and we can stick a film on?" 

"Yeah, that sounds good." Frank smiled, feeling over the moon.

"Alright then, you go and get comfy. I'll be there in a minute."

The two men cuddled up all night once again. Frank's heart ached even more. He took six more painkillers that night. Way more than he should have. But he needed it.

__________

The next morning, Frank took another painkiller only to realize he had finished the box. Maybe if he asked nicely, Gerard would buy him some more. But today, Frank had to go out and find a job. He wasn't looking for anything fancy, just a Saturday job at the coffee shop, or at some fast food place. 

Frank spent hours looking for somewhere, but no one would take him. Apparently, it was too much effort to pay a member of staff to only work for one day a week. Frank didn't know what to do, maybe he'd ask Gerard and see what the best way to pay his rent would be. Frank was good at doing chores, he had done them everyday for the past six years.

The young boy made his way home, head held high, but then he remembered that they were out of meds. Frank rushed home to talk to Gerard.

"Hey Frank, where have you been all day?" Gerard asked, when the teen burst through the door.

"Hey, I can't stop. Is there any chance I could borrow like £5? I'll pay you back as soon as I can." Frank asked, out of breath and sweating a little.

"Sure." Gerard handed him a £20 note. "Could you grab some pasta and red peppers whist you're out?"

"Yeah, of course. Thanks." Frank ran out of the house once again and rushed over to the pharmacy.

He grabbed himself two packs of painkillers and then got Gerard's groceries, before heading back home.

"So, what have you been up to today?" Gerard asked at dinner time.

"I was looking for a job, but no one will take me." Frank sighed.

"Why were you looking for a job?"

"Well, first of all I need to save up for next years tuition, and then I need money to pay you rent."

"Frank, what are you talking about? You don't have to pay rent. I'm your legal guardian, the government pays your rent." Gerard laughed. "And they give me money towards your tuition as well. Don't ever feel like you have to pay for anything whilst you're under my roof, okay?"

"Yeah okay. Thanks. I just feel bad for taking up all of your free time and making you cook and buy extra food."

"It's not a problem Frank, I enjoy the company." Gee smiled, God Frank loved that smile. "So, are you feeling any better today?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. The meds seem to be helping." Frank said. Come to think of it, Frank hadn't felt at all sick today. Why was he still taking the medication? Just to be on the safe side he supposed.

"That's good then, hopefully you'll feel better ready for school on Monday."

"Yeah." Frank sighed. "Can we hug again tonight?" That caught Gerard a little off guard, surely it wasn't normal for a teenage boy to want hugs from a grown man all the time, right?

"Um, well I've got some marking to do first, so maybe a little later?" Gerard said, sounding a bit awkward.

"Oh yeah, sorry." Frank replied, cheeks going red from embarrassment. The feeling in his chest happened again. "I'm gonna head up stairs, thank you for dinner." He said, rushing up the stairs to take some painkillers. He felt guilty for not washing the dishes and decided to swallow two more. Maybe they'd make him feel better.

A few hours passed, and Gerard knocked on the younger boy's door.

"Come in." Frank said, hoping it was cuddle and movie time.

"Hey Frank, I'm really tired tonight so I think I'm gonna catch an early night." Gerard said, looking stressed from all the school work he had been marking.

"Oh okay, goodnight." Frank said, feeling a bit upset.

"Yeah, night Frank." Mr Way left the room and headed to his own.

Frank felt the pain in his chest again. What was wrong with him? Why weren't the painkillers working? Frank got frustrated and threw his phone across the room. He hated being ill. He decided to go to bed early too. Maybe it would stop the pain for a little bit.


	8. Breathe - Part 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might be a bit triggering to some.

A week had passed and Frank was feeling terrible. The painkillers didn't work anymore, but the young boy couldn't stop taking them. There was still some hope left in him that they might help. Gerard had noticed that something wasn't right. Frank hadn't been eating or sleeping very well. He also had a very high temperature and kept having mood changes.

At first, Gerard put it down to Frank having a fever, but after a week and no sign of the illness passing, the older man knew that it was something more. Frank was currently taking up to twenty painkillers a day. A very unhealthy amount.

The two men were home for the weekend, and Gerard planned on sorting this out. He was going to find out what was wrong.

"Hey Frank?" Gerard shouted up the stairs. Frank was in the bathroom, puking his guts out and sweating like there was no tomorrow. "Frank, You okay?" Gerard started to make his way to the bathroom, when he didn't get a reply. 

As soon as he reached the door, he heard the young boy's gagging and instantly knew that this was starting to get serious. He knocked on the door quietly.

"Y-yeah?" Frank replied, shakily.

"Can I come in?" Gerard asked, feeling concerned.

Frank opened the door and let the older man in. He was a mess. Vomit covering his mouth, greasy hair, sweat covering his body, and he couldn't stop shaking. Gerard crouched down next to him.

"I think you should go and see a doctor." Gerard sighed. "This is getting out of control."

"O-okay." Frank sniffed, feeling guilty for ruining Mr Way's weekend.

"I'm gonna get you an emergency appointment for Monday, okay? You go clean yourself up." Gerard sighed, feeling sorry for the young boy. He had gone through so much.

Frank went over to the sink to wash his face. Gerard went downstairs to look for the doctor's phone number. He couldn't find it in the phone book, so he decided to look through the kitchen draws. There was still no sign of the doctors leaflet, but Gerard did find something strange in one of the draws. There were at least ten packs of un-opened boxes of painkillers.

Considering this was his house, Gerard was very freaked out at his find. He definitely didn't put the meds there. It had to be Frank. 

"Frank?" The older man shouted up the stairs.

"Yeah?" Frank had cleaned himself up and was feeling slightly better.

"Can you come down here please? We need to talk."

"O-okay." The younger boy was a little nervous at that question. He went downstairs anyway, ready for some form of punishment. What had he done wrong? Maybe Gerard was just sick of looking after him.

When he entered the front room, he saw Gerard holding up a pack of painkillers.

"What are these?" Gerard asked, sternly.

"U-um, painkillers?" Frank questioned, wondering why Gerard was asking such a dumb question.

"But why do you have so many of them?"

"I-I'm s-sick." Frank gulped, knowing this wasn't going to end well.

"Frank are you really sick, or are you just getting side effects from taking too many meds?"

"I don't know, I can't t-tell the difference." Frank looked like a kid who had just been told off for not cleaning his room. Eyes wide and pleading for mercy. Gerard sighed.

"I'm going to get you a doctors appointment for today. They have special clinics open for emergencies. We're gonna sort this out."

"What do you mean?"

"Frank, taking a lot of painkillers is really bad for you. I should have noticed sooner that something wasn't quite right and I'm sorry that I didn't. But you're gonna be okay. I'm gonna make sure you get the help you need." Gerard sighed, sympathizing with the younger boy.

"Gerard?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

It had just slipped out. Frank didn't even realized he had said it until he saw the shock on Gerard's face. 

"I'm gonna go call the doctor's surgery." Gerard mumbled, walking away.

Frank had blew it.

__________

Gerard drove Frank down to the doctor's, he had made an appointment to see a special recovery doctor. He hoped that this would give Frank someone to talk to about any problems that he had and hopefully get him to stop taking medication.

He had thought about their conversation earlier on, but didn't dare to bring it up. He hadn't even muttered a word to the younger boy, apart from 'let's go' when it was time to leave. He felt bad for not talking to Frank, but he was still in shock. Did he really mean it? Did Frank really love him? It was a bit weird considering the age gap.

Maybe Frank meant it in a family way. In a 'thank you for saving me and taking me in' way, not a 'I want you in my pants' way. Yeah, surely it was the former one.

Gerard couldn't understand how anyone could love him anyway. He was too fat to be loved (A/N Not true! This is just a part of the story.) He wished someone would love him, but that was never going to happen.

Gerard sat in the car and thought about all the things he hated about himself, whilst Frank was at his appointment. He realized that he needed to change. If he was ever going to have someone that loved him, it would be when he was skinnier, prettier. Maybe going on a diet would be a good idea. Maybe tomorrow he could go and buy some clothes in a smaller size and aim to fit into them as soon as he could. 

As soon as Frank got better, Gerard would do everything in his power to make himself better. At least, that's what he though.


	9. Holding Onto You - Part 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had a mixture of injuries and illness over the past few weeks, which is why I haven't been able to update so sorry about that! Thanks for reading, enjoy! Also please let me know if you have a request on where I should take this story next, I'm a bit stuck tbh! (Will give credit to all ideas).

Frank got into the car, putting on his seat belt without a word. The two men were silent for a while.

"How'd it go?" Gerard asked, not wanting Frank to think he was being rude.

"It was alright, he put me on this medicine program to reduce the withdrawal stages." Frank sighed. "I'm sorry for putting you through all this."

"You haven't put me through anything, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're getting better." Gerard replied, putting a hand on Frank's shoulder to comfort him. "Did you wanna grab some lunch and go shopping?"

"Yeah, alright."

The two men headed over to the mall and decided to eat at Taco Bell. Frank ordered a cheesy gordita and a coke, and Gerard just ordered a coffee.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Frank asked, a little confused as to how Gerard could go to such a good food joint and not eat anything.

"Nah, I had a big breakfast. Plus, I need to try and eat a bit healthier cause I keep snacking. I'll have a salad or something when we get home." Gerard laughed, lying through his teeth but the small boy believed him. 

It wasn't until they got to the clothes shop that Frank realized something was wrong. Gerard wasn't a big person, he had a very small frame, but he was slightly bigger than Frank. That's only because Frank had been starved for years. He wasn't exactly at a healthy weight. Both men wore women's pants, there was no doubting that. They were much more fitting to their figures. Frank was a size 8 and Gerard was a size 12, but for some odd reason Gerard was buying jeans in a size 8 as well.

"Who're those pants for?" Frank asked, wondering if the older man was shopping for him.

"Me." Gerard smiled. "I don't know if I'm gonna get them though."

"Why?"

"Well, I've already got at least fifty pairs of pants at home so really it would be a waste." Gerard sighed. "They are pretty though."

"Yeah they're nice. Do they have them in your size?" Frank asked, not in a rude way. He just wanted to know if Gerard was holding a small pair, because there were no other sizes.

Gerard gave Frank a strange look, it was a mixture of hurt and sadness. But it was easy to tell that Gerard agreed with the younger boy.

"No." The teacher sighed. "They don't." Then he threw the jeans back on the rack and walked off to another section of the store. Frank chased after him.

"We could asked someone who works here to see if they've got more sizes in the back room?" 

"No. Like I said, it would be a waste."

No more words were spoken. Frank could tell that he had hit a soft spot with the older man and didn't want to risk making the situation any worse. He bought a pair of pants for himself and a few T-shirts, then headed over to the check-out.

"Thanks for paying." Frank said, as the two men left the store.

"Well, I am your legal guardian so it's kind of my job." Gerard smiled, faking it slightly.

__________

Frank felt rather anxious when he got home. Gerard hadn't spoken a word since they left the shop and the younger boy was pretty sure he had upset his teacher. He worried that Gerard would kick him out. He was too much hassle for anyone to deal with. That's why the foster home abused him, he wasn't wanted, he was only a burden. The only person that wanted him was his mother, but she was taken away from him.

The young boy thought long and hard about his life. What did he have to do to make people happy? How could he become worthy of everyone's time? Maybe he could just join his mother in the clouds. That would be the easy way out. but it would also be a way to see his beautiful mother again.

Maybe he could become a doctor. People wouldn't want him, but they would need him in order to get better. That would be good. If they didn't come and see them, then they would get ill and probably die. Frank had some strange thoughts circling through his head, thoughts that sent him into a frenzy. 

He just wanted to be wanted. Why was that so much to ask?

Pills, they would help. Painkillers, the killers of pain. That's what he needed right now.

Frank ran as fast as he could down the stairs, breathing heavily as he made his was to the cupboard draws in the living room. Gerard was there watching TV.

"Hey Frank, what's up?" He said absentmindedly, not noticing that the teen was having a breakdown. He looked up slightly when the boy didn't reply, only to see something very sad and shocking. Frank was pulling open all of the draws and throwing their contents out. He was looking for something, and Gerard could easily guess what it was. "Frank, they aren't there." Gerard said, walking over to try and calm his student down.

"Frank." The younger boy didn't listen, he didn't want to hear anything, he just wanted it all to stop. "Frank listen to me, they're gone. I flushed them all down the toilet. They're gone. Never to be seen again. Understood?" Gerard raised his voice firmly. He grabbed Frank's arm and the boy instantly froze.

"I'm sorry." Frank whispered as quickly and clearly as he could. He knew what was coming next. He had trashed the room, and now he was in trouble. "P-please, I-I'll tidy it u-up. Please don't h-hit me." He sobbed.

Gerard let got of the younger one's hand in shock. He hadn't expected that reaction. "I'm sorry Frank, I didn't mean to scare you. I would never hurt you, okay?" 

Frank simply nodded, more tears appearing as he continued to sob.

"Come here." Gerard said soothingly, gesturing for a hug. Frank gladly accepted it, resting his body against the older man. He instantly felt better. "If you ever feel like this, don't freak out. Come to me and we'll talk okay?"

"O-okay." Frank cried, burying his head further into Gerard's chest.

They spent the rest of the night like that. Cuddled up together once again. It was just what Frank had wanted this entire time. It did make Gerard wonder though, what did Frank really mean when he said 'I love you'?


	10. All Alone In Bedsit Land - Part 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've got a good idea on where I want to take this fanfic now. Excited to get into it a bit more. Thanks for reading!

The rest of the weekend was pretty normal. Frank focused on finding himself a hobby to distract himself from his problems, and Gerard weighed himself a couple hundred times. It wasn't like he was freaking out over his weight or anything, he just wanted to make sure he didn't get any bigger. At least that's what he told himself.

Both men were off to school for the day and had opposite feelings about it. Frank was quite excited. He loved to learn new things and he knew the lessons would distract him from his nagging need of painkillers. Gerard on the other hand, was pretty nervous. Usually he would enjoy teaching, but he wasn't having a good day. His insecurities were getting the better of him and the thought of having to stand and speak in front of his classes made him nauseous.

Frank's first period of the day was History, one of his favorites. He took his seat at the back of the class and prepared all of his textbooks. Normally he would sit on his own, but today someone joined him.

"Hey, I'm Carter it's nice to meet new. I'm new here." The boy smiled, holding out his hand to shake Franks. 

"Oh hi, I'm Frank. It's nice to meet you too." Frank replied, feeling a bit shy. The lesson started and the two boys didn't speak again until the end.

"So, um. I was wondering if you wanted to meet up at lunch? I don't have anyone to sit with, and you seem pretty cool." Carter smirked, turning on his charm.

"Yeah, of course. Do you wanna meet at the lockers in B block? That's where my fifth period is."

"Sounds good, see you later Frank." Waved Carter.

"See you soon." Frank smiled, blushing slightly. The new kid sure knew how to make Frank flush. He wasn't used to being treated like this. It felt good.

Lunch time soon came around and the two boys were sat together in the dining hall. Gerard had caught a glimpse of them from a far and smiled knowing that Frank had found a friend. It was about time.

"So, tell me a bit about yourself." Carter said, as he ate his sandwich.

"Well, my life is kind of boring but I used to live in a foster home. I left a few weeks ago and now I live with some guy called Gerard. He's an English teacher here. That's about it really, I don't do much." Frank giggled.

"Well, maybe I can change that. We should go out some time, you can show me around the town." Carter smiled, confidence radiating from him.

"That sounds good." Frank said, oblivious to what the proposition meant. "So, what about you? What's your life like?"

"I used to live in Chicago, but my parents moved here cause one of them got promoted at work. I play a lot of baseball in my spare time, maybe you could show me a place where I could practice?"

"Yeah, do you have anything planned after school?"

"Nope." Carter replied, this was too easy for him.

"Well, how about I show you the baseball pitch and then we can go to my house for dinner?" Frank suggested, his stomach started to feel a little fluttery.

"Sounds like a plan, I can't wait."

The bell rang for next lesson, and the boys separated once again. Carter had plans, bad plans. Vulnerable, young Frankie was in for a treat.

__________

Carter and Frank made their way to the baseball pitch after school. It was getting really cold as it was nearing the end of October, which meant Frank's birthday was coming up soon.

"Hey Frank, can I hold your hand? Mine's a bit cold." Carter asked, sweetly.

"Oh, yeah of course." Frank replied, loving all the attention and affection he was getting. "So, right ahead of us is the pitch."

"Ah, this looks good." Carter said. "The pitch isn't half bad too."

"Wait, what?" Frank laughed. "Did you just say I looked good?"

"Hmm maybe, but I should probably correct myself. You don't look good, you look super cute." Smirked the older of the two.

"Well, you don't look too bad yourself."

"So um, I was wondering, I know we only just met today so it might be a bit weird but I really like you Frankie, and I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me?" Carter asked, loving the fact that Frank was under pressure and obviously going to say yes.

"Do you mean like boyfriends? Cause I've never had one of those."

"Maybe I could be your first?" Even better, thought Carter.

"Okay then. I will." Frank said, a big grin on his face. Carter gave him a kiss on the check, which made the vulnerable boy blush. "Should we go get some dinner at my house?"

"Yeah, let's go. It'll be nice to meet Gerard."

Gerard was already making tea for himself and Frank when the two boys got home. He wasn't expecting a visitor, so only had enough food for two people.

"Hey Gerard." Frank greeted. "Is it okay if my bo- friend stays over for dinner?" He quickly corrected himself.

"Yeah that's fine, it's almost ready actually. What's your name?" Gerard asked looking at the stranger in his house. He also took notice of Frank's sudden stutter of words before hand.

"I'm Carter." He held out his hand and Gerard shook it.

"Well, it's nice to meet you. Take a seat boys, dinners ready." Gerard dished up dinner for the boys and went upstairs to finish some marking. He wasn't all that hungry anyway. It was probably for the best, he needed to lose a few pounds.

He also decided that he didn't like Frank's new 'friend.' Something about him seemed off, not to mention the fact that they were dating. It was obvious by the way Frank acted around him. He needed to keep a close eye on that boy.


	11. The Dirty - Part 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, this is going to get dark. Thanks for reading!

Evening arrived quickly, and Carter had asked Gerard for a lift home since it was dark. Being a responsible adult, Gerard decided to say yes even though his entire body was against it. He told Frank to stay home and do his homework so that he would have some alone time to talk to the young boy.

"So, are you and Frank dating?" Gerard asked, backing off his driveway.

"If that's what he tells you then just go with it." Carter replied, surprising, confusing and concerning the older man.

"Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?"

"The kid's nice an all, easy enough for me." Carter smirked.

"If you're just doing this to get in Frank's pants then I suggest you stop. I can report you to the police in a heart beat." Gerard warned sternly.

"If I were you I'd back off, fatty." Gerard's eyes widened slightly and Carter knew that he had hit a soft spot. "Keep your ugly, pointy nose out of mine and Frank's business. Although, you're not too bad yourself. Maybe I'll ditch Frank and do a few rounds on you?"

"That is very inappropriate, I will be having words with the principle tomorrow morning about your behaviour. Endangering a minor and threatening a teacher? You're in for a rough year." Gerard stated, anger rising at the rude remarks.

"Wait, please don't! I'm so sorry that was very wrong of me to say. Please just give me one more chance, I really do like Frank." Carter begged, lying out of his mind. He needed to get into Frank's pants at least once before he got into trouble. "I was just trying to wind you up, I'm sorry."

"Alright, I won't say anything but if you hurt Frank in any way, I will make sure it is the last thing you do. That kid has already gone through enough." Gerard replied, stupidly.

"Thank you Sir." Carter sighed in relief.

The two men stopped talking and Gerard dropped off the younger boy at his house. He was going to have to keep a real close eye on him now. Something was very off. 

Frank came down the stairs to greet Gerard when he got home.

"Hey Gee, wanna watch some TV? I'm bored." Frank asked, smiling from ear to ear.

"Um, yeah but I need to use the bathroom first." Gerard said, about to walk up the stairs. "Oh and Frank?" He grabbed the boy's arm gently.

"Yeah?"

"I know about you and Carter."

"Oh." Frank looked slightly worried.

"I just want you to promise me that if he does anything you don't like, or forces you to do anything, you tell me okay? I need to make sure you're safe."

"Gerard, he's not like that. Don't worry okay?" Frank reassured him, clueless of the monster that was his boyfriend.

"Right, but just promise?"

"Okay, I promise. Now go and use the bathroom." Frank laughed.

Gerard ran up the stairs and made his way to the bathroom. He did his business and washed his hands. Just as he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He thought back to what Carter had called him only minutes earlier.

'Fatty.'

He didn't want to believe it, but the boy was right. Gerard had put on some weight. He felt terrible looking at himself, pointing out every flaw that he had. But then he remembered that he had, had no dinner, which gave him a small feeling of pride. Maybe that's something he could do for the next week or so. Instead of eating dinner he could go to the gym.

Sounds like a plan, Gerard thought to himself as he made his way down the stairs.

"Hey Gerard, they're playing Sweeney Todd in five minutes, hurry up before you miss it." Frank called out.

"The film is rather long, I don't think I'd miss it." Gerard laughed back. "Do you want some snacks?"

"Yeah, can I have a soda and some crisps please?" Frank asked.

"Of course." Gerard went to the kitchen to grab Frank's snacks and returned almost immediately.

"Aren't you gonna eat anything?" Frank asked.

"No, I'm full. I ate something earlier."

"When?"

Gerard hesitated for a second, realizing he was close to being caught out.

"When you and Carter were out at the baseball field." Gerard replied, sighing in relief that he had an excuse.

"Oh okay." Frank wasn't sure if Gerard was telling the truth or not.

__________

The next day Carter had his first English lesson with Mr Way. He was excited to say the least, as he had a few tricks up his sleeve. He had thought about the whole situation he had put himself in last night, and realized that it would be fun to mess with both Frank and Gerard. Turns out Mr Way is more vulnerable than he originally thought. 

The end of class approached and Carter decided to stay behind to ask for a bit of 'help.' All the other students had gone.

"Excuse me, Sir." Carter said, with a smirk on his face.

"Yes, Carter?" Mr Way replied, trying to show no fear.

"I was wondering if you could help me out a bit." 

"Of course, what do you need help with? Are you struggling to catch up with the work?"

"No, not exactly." Sighed the younger boy. "You see, I was wondering if you could help me with another situation." He looked down slightly towards the top of his trousers. "It's just been so long since it's been touched, and your hands are so dainty." He purred.

Gerard was rather stunned to say the least, not knowing what to say.

"I suggest you get out of this classroom now, before I send you to the principle." Gerard said calmly, but stern.

"Listen here fatty, you will do as I say. Understand? You ain't gonna tell the principle shit!" Carter snapped, getting fed up of being told no.

"Stop calling me that!" Gerard shot back.

"What? Fatty? I'm just saying what I see." 

Gerard lowered his head, trying to hide the tear that fell down his cheek. Carter was kind of confused, he wasn't expecting it to be that easy to break Gerard.

"Listen to me Gerard. I'm going to lock the classroom door, and you will do as I say. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes." Gerard sobbed, shaking in fear. This wasn't the first time Gerard had experienced something like this in his lifetime, so he knew what to expect. 

Gerard spent the next hour crying as the younger boy forced him to touch places he didn't want to touch.


End file.
